Siskoid and Shag’s coverage of Marvel Team-Up continues with issue #149 (January 1985) by Louise Simonson, Brett Blevins and Mike Esposito, starring Spider-Man and Cannonball! It’s “The Incandescent Man”.
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Hey gents. Great episode as always.
Shagg, I believe the story where Spidey recognizes Cannonball because of his ears was in X-Men 190-191, where the sorcerer Kulan Gath transforms NYCcinyo the age of Conan.
I’m surprised Marvel hasn’t rewritten and expanded the story of MTU 149 into a multipart crossover event. Think of it. Sam Guthrie’s gift to his mother being tossed about the Marvel Universe as heroes and villains alike scramble to posses it. All because it’s the perfect accessory to The Infinity Gauntlet. The universe trembles as Silver Surfer and The Guardians of The Galaxy carry it to a distant world in hopes of hiding it forever. All is nearly lost when Mephisto uses trickery to gain control of the hat, only to face defeat when he realizes he does not have the right shoes to go with it.
Here’s my team up I based off things you said with my own spin . The tittle : fast food and Fantasy
Cannonball is in Dokata city and while eating eat burger fool ends up meeting Richie and his pall Virgil who after hitting off invite him to join. There D&D session cannon ball be the dashing rouge Thomas , Virgil becomes sir shock and Richie el Falcon the Ranger as they quest for the golden mc Gufin of power . From the sinister lord Bird Brain
Daisy is the d master .
What you think ?
Re: Cannonball being thrown by sales tax
No Prize time! Having grown up in Kentucky, I can verify that the state is somewhat noteworthy for its extremely low income tax (more so at the time this comic was published than today). Conversely, NYC’s sales taxes are pretty high. So let’s stipulate that Sam is able to more or less ignore KY’s negligible sales taxes, and hardly ever has to think about it (even with his meager funds), but had a rude awakening when confronted with the reality in NYC.
Chris Franklin can speak to this more accurately than I can, but I don’t think there ARE any Circle Ks in KY (it was certainly an alien chain to me when Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure came out!)
I was sure Shag said it with confidence because Chris had told a Circle K story more than once on his shows. But it’s all alien to me.
There are definitely Circle Ks in Kentucky now, there’s one in my town. But the chain is relatively new here, within the past 20 or so years. We still don’t have any 7-11 stores to my knowledge, although Speedway is now part of the same chain.
Just for reference, KY sales tax has been 6 % for decades now. I think it was 5% when I was young, so it is pretty low.
That’s wild, Chris, because one mere state away in Kingsport, Tennessee, there was a 7-11 two blocks from my aunt’s house where I would buy comics when we’d visit them! How much difference a state can make.
Great episode.
I was and remain a mostly DC kid and at this time was probably not buying these team-up books. I did get the first year of New Mutants when it came out, glomming onto a mutant jumping on point that I missed with XMen and always like Cannonball best.
This seems like the perfect team-up book, quick and efficient, nice characterization, everything left where it was before.
It is the art that is worth mentioning. As you say, both covers are rough. The Giarrano one looks like they are fighting a marshmallow man!
And yes, Project Pegasus sure was issuing tight fitting clothes … mercy!
Cannonball teaming up with Bouncing Boy might be a fun crossover with Cannonball acting like a poolstick to shoot Chuck all over the world.
Fun episode! Discussion better than the comic for sure. I always liked Cannonball – he was such an aw shucks kind of guy who I agree matured over the years.
This issue was not my introduction to Bret Blevins. That was the Epic comics line series, The Bozz Chronicles. If ANYBODY else bought that series, I’d love to know. I will admit, the first issue of Marvel Age I ever got had a preview of Bozz, and it worked its marketing magic on impressionable Lil’ Time Priest, meaning I feel for the scam of thinking “Wow, this must be a big deal, because it’s in print!” Anyway, Blevins did make the leading lady very curvaceous , and is one of his hallmarks, like in the Inhumans Graphic Novel. (Did ANYBODY buy that one? I have the weirdest buying habits.) So Pegasus Agent Woman’s portrayal is actually pretty mild for Blevins.
I do think it’s unintentionally funny that Steve (? the guy on the ferry) calls the bad guy “some kind of Incandescent Man”, and that just happens to the Project Pegasus name for the experiment. Like the word “incandescent” is such an obvious word to describe that energy form. I’m not throwing shade, because I know the name is there to keep the story easier for the reader to follow, but it’s funny when I think about it.
This whole hat gag reminds me of Amazing Spider-Man Annual #19, where Alistair Smythe happened to snag a hat box Spidey was carrying around as a gift for Aunt May, lojack-ed it to track down Spidey later, and when Smythe attacked, Mary Jane was wearing the hat, so Alistair jumps to the “reasonable” conclusion that MJ is Spider-Man. Oh, comics, you so crazy.
I wish I had a good Cannonball team-up, but all I keep thinking of is Nova, The Human Rocket, and big props to Anj for suggesting Bouncing Boy which is absolutely perfect. But maybe on a trip home to Kentucky, independent Sam takes the bus (he’s too insecure to ask the X-Men for a lift), but he misses a transfer and ends up hitchhiking, where he’s picked up by a suave Burt Reynolds who’s in the middle of a cross country street car race, and Sam desperately tries to get out of it without revealing his powers. It could be called Cannonball’s Run.
I have been summoned! 😀
You’re right, Siskoid, this is the one and only appearance on “The Incandescent Man”, or even any mention of him. As the mission of Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. is to research alternative energy sources (it’s right in the name – Potential Energy Group/Alternate Sources/United States), something like this creature coming out of it would make sense.
Impressive podcast most impressive. Ah Spidey and Cannon ball teaming up . Wow sounds like a murders row of writers on that comic. Ah yep the villain in this issue. Looks like Sasquatch. Probably just an oops on part of the penciler or inker. The alternate cover. Works better in my opinion.
I like that Bret drew this he was the reason I first picked up sleep Walker. The Stories are what made me stay, but I liked Bret since New
Mutants . I only.briefly read the bird brain Story luckily I missed that part. Yep Cannonball is a salt of the earth kind of guy. Could see him listening to the song punk rocker or is it pop rocker? . Any way him and Spidey makes sense as a team up. A descent contrast.
So them together is a great idea. An electro powered villain. Interesting . Ah so he was planning to leave the new mutants kind of like sunspot and warlock did when they briefly joined the vanisher’s team for that mini series. A decent 12 issue story that just didn’t catch on. Was that a fan of the title though.
So the whole time he was trying to get clothes for his mom that got caught. lol. Ah yep he’s a salt of the Earth, kind of guy. Louise Simonson had a great Handel on this character. Any way the thief lady.., well tgat happened. Oy vea what a name. Ah well Abomination got over soo whip can say? Not a great villain, but he was there for team up. This was probably an inventory. That she had when she worked for Warren and proudly she just added cannon ball with Spidey. I like Cannon ball.
I had the graphic novel of the new mutants it was awesome. And Cannon ball was good my favorite was Mirage , but he was cool too. Sad he didn’t get a bigger name in comics. But, he got a decent enough foot print in comics. Though he should have a bit more. Ah well can’t wait for the next episode.
Great episode, guys! Cannonball is my favorite mutant and one of my all time favorite characters, and this issue is part of the reason why.
As a kid, I really related to Sam’s struggles with his powers, especially when related to his peers. The move he pulls in this issue where he cuts his “blastin’” mid-stream in order to change directions is e goes in New Mutants Annual 1, which is one of my favorite stories (it introduces Lila Cheney). We got to see him grow up on the page and have followed him to great heights.
My only real issue is the hat itself. It is hideous. Does Sam hate his poor mother? Now she has to pretend to like this and wear it to church, where all the other church buddies will smirk behind her back. Poor Momma Guthrie!